David Tennant is leaving Doctor Who. A couple of seasons ago I would have said goodbye, good riddance; he bugged us in the part, and he never really had the same vital chemistry with Billie Piper that Christopher Eccleston (our kind of Doctor) enjoyed, even if he did do a good job refereeing the clash of Daleks and Cybermen that ended the second season. But his loosely hinged interpretation grew on us, and he was much better paired with Freema Agyeman and especially Catherine Tate, a kindred spirit. The most excellent episode "Blink" (perfect for Halloween) aired on his watch, and gradually he made the part his own; watching him take leave of it over the four special episodes scheduled for 2009 should be compelling (we hope the Sci-Fi Channel will import them sooner than later). Speculation has begun over who will play the Eleventh Doctor, bearing the trusty sonic screwdriver, as regime change hits in 2010: David Morrissey would fit the Eccleston mode, and John Simm (terrific mimicking Tennant as the Master in the third season) is a strong candidate. (I'm having a harder time seeing James Nesbitt or Rufus Sewell, good actors though they are). Why not Tate, whose character is already part Time Lord? Doctor Who is British, but the 45-year-old role could use some American-style Clintonizing, or Obamaization.
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